Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday directed the Punjab government that the summary seeking raise in the salaries of MPAs, ministers and chief minister should be reverted.

He barred the Punjab governor from signing the summary and also directed the Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to recall the bill seeking raise in the MPAs, ministers and chief minister’s salaries and perks.

Through Twitter, Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his dismay over the increase in salaries and perks of members of Punjab provincial assembly, ministers and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar saying ‘I am extremely disappointed at the decision of Punjab Assembly to raise pays and privileges of MPAs, ministers and especially the CM. Once prosperity returns to Pakistan such a move could be justified, but now, when we do not have resources to provide basic amenities to all our people, this is untenable.’

Khan ordered to review the decision granting lifetime incentives to the chief ministers while restricting it to a period of three months. The premier termed the decision of providing residence to the chief minister for lifetime ‘incorrect’. Following the directions, it was decided to exclude the clause pertaining to the provision of incentives to the chief minister. The clause will be ruled out by legal means through an amendment. The provincial government also admitted that the clause was irrelevant and agreed to eliminate it.

The Punjab Assembly on Wednesday approved a private bill seeking raise in the salaries and privileges of Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) within just 24 hours. The bill was presented in the House after receiving consent from the standing committee. Following the legislation, MPA’s salary and incentives have been increased from Rs83,000 to Rs200,000 a month whereas the Punjab chief minister will draw RS350,000 a month. The basic salary has been raised from Rs18,000 to Rs80,000 a month, daily allowance from Rs1,000 to Rs4,000 a month and house rent from Rs29,000 to Rs50,000 a month.

Besides this, the bill fixed utility allowance from Rs6,000 to Rs20,000 a month and hospitality allowance from Rs10,000 to Rs20,000 a month. The salaries of the members of the Punjab Assembly and ministers raised by the provincial assembly exceed the pays of their counterparts in all the provinces and at the federal level. The unanimously-passed legislation was tabled by treasury’s Ghazanfar Abbas Cheena on Tuesday and approval was accorded on the following day amid the thunder of applause.

A member of National Assembly received a salary of Rs173,000 besides other perks and privileges.

The member of Balochistan Assembly gets highest salary, who received salary and allowances of Rs440,000 and other perks and privileges, while Punjab’s Members of Provincial Assembly were on second, who received salary now had increased from Rs83,000 to 195,000, KPK Assembly on third where a member received a salary of Rs153,800 per month and Sindh Assembly member is on last number as they received salary of Rs145,000.

Balochistan’s chief minister was also on top of the list of receiving the monthly salary who gets Rs600,000, chief minister Punjab Rs4,25,000, chief minister KPK 290,000 and chief minister Sindh was drawing a salary of Rs245,000 per month.

The salary of prime minister is 196,000 while the cabinet ministers were getting a salary around Rs250,000 while the salary of the president of Pakistan was over Rs700,000.

The basic salary of the prime minister is Rs107,280 while with the different allowances the total salary comes over Rs201,574 and the tax of Rs4590 also deducted from the salary of the prime minister. But interestingly the federal ministers were drawing the salary more than from prime minister as per information the ministers were drawing a salary around Rs250,0000.

The salary of Senate chairman was 116,000, Deputy chairman Senate was about Rs106,000 while the senator was getting a salary of Rs76,000. Though the Punjab Assembly has passed the bill in raise of salaries yet the Governor Punjab did not sign the bill.